The Adventure Zone

Clint McElroy · Carey Pietsch · Griffin McElroy · Travis McElroy · Justin McElroy

Feb 2023 · The Adventure Zone Issue #5 · Sold by First Second

About this ebook

Based on the trailblazing podcast where the McElroy brothers and their dad play a tabletop RPG, and illustrated by cartooning powerhouse Carey Pietsch, The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour is a thrilling new chapter in this #1 New York Times bestselling series. If you love the D&D flavor of Critical Role and Dimension 20, you’ll definitely wanna hop on board with on this time-bending installment where the stakes are higher than ever!

The Bureau of Balance has located yet another Grand Relic, and this time it’s...time? A small mining town called Refuge has been locked away behind an arcane bubble, and somewhere inside it the Temporal Chalice is causing unknown mayhem. Taako, Magnus, and Merle are launched into their investigation, but they’ve barely had a chance to get their feet under them before the situation literally falls apart. When the town clocktower strikes noon, Refuge and its citizens are destroyed in a sudden chaos of flame and ruin, and our heroes’ relic hunting― along with their lives―comes to an abrupt end.

But woah, what’s this? It’s 11AM, they’re alive again, and Refuge definitely hasn’t just been exploded? Looks like a classic time loop, friends. This town is trapped in its final hour, and so are the three of them. And in order to escape, they’ll not only have to solve the mystery of what happened to the Chalice, they’ll also also have to resist what it offers: the chance to rewrite the worst days of their own pasts.

Praise for The Adventure Zone series:

"Topping the New York Times bestseller list and building out its stories in fascinating new ways . . . it’s become a cultural phenomenon." —Entertainment Weekly

"Full of charm and snark and wit. Join the party!" —Felicia Day, author of Embrace Your Inner Weird

"The Adventure Zone is fun, hilarious, and also smart. Hey, guys, can I have a cameo next time?” —Adam Savage, MythBusters

“My excitement about this existing cannot be dwarfed by anything. You see what I did there.” —Jean Grae, hip-hop artist, actor, and comedian

“Gorgeous art—the characters come to life! I am so happy that this graphic novel is a thing that exists in the world.” —Hank Green, author of Crash Course and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Books in The Adventure Zone series:

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins (Book 1)
The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited (Book 2)
The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal (Book 3)
The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom (Book 4)
The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour (Book 5)
The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game (Book 6)

Ratings and reviews

Seeing this comic come to life has been so wonderful. You can't really experience things for the first time, twice. But the Balance Arc of TAZ has had the unique opportunity to hit me fresh with every new volume. Thank you so much for this, I'm so excited for the rest of the story!

The Adventure Zone is such a good story and these books are so good. They capture all the highs of the podcast while adding in details that only make sense with the hindsight the McElroys now have. The character designs and art is amazing and I really enjoyed this book. Enough that I'm about to start reading it again anyways!

TAZ is a beautiful podcast and the books have done a remarkable job of representing this goofy, heartfelt, and breathtaking series. Well worth your time.

About the author

Meet the McElroys! Clint was born first, which recent studies have shown is the best procedure for fathers and sons; then came Justin, Travis, and, last but not least, Griffin. This hilarious family gained fame in the world of podcasts with My Brother, My Brother and Me (which spawned a popular tv show), Sawbones, Shmanners, Rose Buddies, and a farcical romp called The Adventure Zone.

Carey Pietsch is a cartoonist based out of Brooklyn, New York. Her work includes drawing for Lumberjanes and the Mages of Mystralia webcomic. Carey also makes Keepsakes and other original comics about magic and empathy. Along with brightening her workdays, The Adventure Zone got her to join a D&D campaign.